Fairness Prevails
by Sondra Huxtable
Summary: But it's not fair..." Edward and Bella meet again after several years of a rather difficult separation. But... They don't realize it. Is life ever fair?
1. Minute Prologue

_Disclaimer: Things I own: Way too many scarves, a pack of cigarettes, a bottle of Nuvo, a lot of lame paintings...  
Things I don't own: Edward Cullen. Oh how I wish. (And do I really have to say everything else? I mean... Really...)_

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PROLOGUE

_Early Summer, 1992_

The pale little brown haired girl slowed to a stop. She knew she was going to lose, that he was going to catch her. Sure enough, his tiny little frame collided with hers and they were sent sprawling into the lush patch of grass outside the encroaching forest of their tiny, rainy home of Forks, Washington. The little girl giggled as he began to tickle her. Three things happened simultaneously; his tickling slowed, she opened her eyes that had been shut tight and he stared into her warm, wide brown eyes. His tickling stopped altogether and he leaned down slowly to kiss her.

You would have thought, as they were both seven, that either one would have been disgusted by a kiss from the opposite sex. But this was not the case. They did not move at all. His lips barely touched hers. As he pulled away, she whimpered.

"I'm gonna marry you Bella." He stated, absolutely sure of himself.

"Not if I marry you first, Anthony!" She said, sticking out her tongue which provoked him into torturing her with his tickling once more.

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_  
Late Summer, 1992_

The thin, pale, brunette woman sipped her tea slowly, trying not to show any type of emotional reaction to the other woman's words. She chose her own carefully, and decided to speak.

"Well Esme, it seems like it hasn't been that long since I've met you, but it feels like much longer. Honestly, you've become a sister to me. I'm sad to see you go."

Esme ran a hand through her caramel locks. "I'm sad to go. I'll miss Forks, but even more, I'll miss you, Renee. And your Bella. It's… Unfortunate." Esme wiped a tear, which made Renee cry too.

"They can't give him any more at Forks General?" Renee asked, her words a bit wet. She knew that Esme wouldn't see it as prying.

"No. We're doing fine, but with Carlisle's father's unexpected hospital bills, we just can't find a way to do it. The hospital in California has offered him a fourth more than what he's getting paid here."

"Understandable." Renee sighed.

"Yes… But still very unfortunate." Esme said decidedly.

"We'll keep in touch." Renee promised.

"Of course we will. And we'll make sure the kids do too. I know it will be hard for Edward to let go of Bella."

"Edward? Is that Anthony's given name?"

"Yes, it's his first name. Anthony is his middle name. Do you remember that dreadful Black boy, who lived down the street? He was always making fun of Edward's name. The day he met your Bella, he had decided that he would go by his middle name. And then, do you remember she said she 'liked that name very much?' he clung to that like a life preserver. Told me a million times, 'Bella likes it very much.'" Esme chuckled. "So Anthony it was. Carlisle and I have indulged him. All of our family has even begun to call him that, with the exception of Carlisle's father, as he's his namesake." She chuckled again. "Hopefully he'll grow out of it."

Renee also chuckled. "Hopefully."

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_  
Autumn, 1992_

"But I'm sleepy…" The little pale girl whined. "Can't I see Anthony tomorrow?"

"No, honey. It has to be tonight." Her mother said firmly.

"But _why?" _The little girl's whine rose in pitch.

"You will understand in time."

Something about her mother's tone caused the girl to fall silent.

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_  
Later That Night_

"Mommy no!" The little girl wailed.

"Baby, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

"Did they leave… 'cause of me?" The little girl tried to get out between sniffles.

"No honey, of course not. Carlisle had to go work somewhere else. They didn't want to leave." The woman tried to pacify her child.

"But it's not _fair…" _The child wailed. She cried, repeating those words until she fell asleep in her mother's arms.

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**  
A/N: Minute Prologue is a song by Leonard Cohen. I don't really have much else to say. I probably sound dumb, but this WILL get better, I promise. **


	2. A Brief Recapitulation

**A/N: Present day next chapter. Yay! I'm excited. **

_Disclaimer: Things I own: A bowl of ice cream. Some lame paintings. A Jeep Liberty. Things I don't own: Edward Cullen. Boo.  


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A Brief Recapitulation

Bella was never the same after Anthony left. She cried profusely for the first few months, and was just generally sad, but then suddenly, she just stopped. Her mother thought she was beginning to forget about him, but really, Bella had realized that Anthony wouldn't want her to be sad. She went through her life, still thinking of him always. She never really saw another man in her life until she met James her junior year. He had just transferred from a school in New York (his family, the Masens, had apparently lived in Forks before, and they were returning) and showed much interest in Bella. She figured this was because she never had showed any interest in him, because he snubbed all the girls that were interested in him.

He pursued her heavily, and in the end, she gave in to all the flowers and notes and candies he sent. They began dating, he was very serious from the start, and he seemed like her dream come true. She never was in love with him, she thought about Anthony too much for her to ever fall in love, but she kept telling herself that she would get over the strange fixation she held for a boy from her youth and fall in love. She passed through her junior and senior year still with James. He decided that they would go to the University of Washington together, and though Bella had dreams of attending UCLA, she figured she could go there for grad school, and decided to go to the University of Washington with James. She didn't realize that he wouldn't give her a choice, really, because she never discussed her doubts with him.

The summer after their senior year, James proposed. Bella was as happy as could be expected, and her mother was actually elated. Her father wasn't as happy, but he didn't talk much, so Bella never understood that his aversion was not towards losing his only daughter, as she assumed, but actually an aversion to James himself.

They decided they wouldn't get married soon, and left for college engaged. James rented an apartment near the university, and paid for everything. Bella didn't like this, but she figured that this was due to low self esteem, and convinced herself that she should be happy that he paid for everything. She convinced herself that she deserved it, and they lived primarily happily (the had a few fights during that time, one occasion being when James read her journal and demanded to know who Anthony was, and when Bella told him about Anthony Cullen, proceeded destroyed it, another being when James found out Bella had inherited her Uncle Phil's fortune after he'd died, and frequently hassled her about whether or not he would get any, and when she would spend it) until the summer after their sophomore year. It was then that Bella came home early from her job at a local bookstore, and found James having sex with a "friend" from his psychology class that she had met several times, Victoria. James saw her, and shouted at her to come back as she fled the apartment. He threw on his underwear and chased her downstairs. He even chased her car as she sped away.

She drove to her friend Angela's parents' house, in the suburbs of Seattle, and asked if Angela was home. She wasn't, Angela's mother saw how shaken up that Bella was, and invited her in. Against Bella's visceral feelings, she told Angela's mother exactly what had happened. Angela's mother was very sympathetic and told Bella that she could stay as long as she wanted. Angela's mother made her something to eat, and showed her to the guest room. Bella stayed there for a few days, never leaving, borrowing Angela's clothes. She went to work and was harassed there by James, who only quieted and departed when asked by the burly manager. This happened three times.

Bella was thinking of going back to the apartment to retrieve her clothing and anything else she might want, but she decided against it. She also went against her own previous wishes to not spend Phil's money. She and Angela went shopping. Bella bought two large suitcases, enough clothes to fill them, toiletries, and a few other things. She missed her collection of books and the things she had inherited from Charlie's mother, but she was too afraid to go back to the apartment. She felt like she hadn't really known James at all, and therefore had no idea what he was capable of.

A few days later she realized what exactly he was capable of. While eating dinner with Angela and her parents, she suddenly smelled smoke. She asked if anyone else smelled it, and Angela's dad said he thought it was coming from outside. They rushed out the front door and found, in the front yard, a blaze of Bella's belongings. James was nowhere in sight. Angela's father went inside to call the fire department, and Bella just watched her things burn. The fire department came and put out the fire. Nothing could be salvaged.

Over the next few days, the Weber family helped Bella decide what to do. Bella was afraid to go home to Forks, because James knew where she lived, but she knew it needed to be done. She thanked Angela's family profusely for their help, left a thousand dollars on the bedside table of their guest room, packed all her belongings in her car and left for Forks.

Her parents were surprised to see her, and angered by her story of what had happened in Seattle. Renee was hysterical and in tears, Charlie just decidedly loaded the bullets into his gun. Bella applied for a transfer from the University of Washington to UCLA, and was accepted. She spent the rest of the summer just reading and writing. On her last day in Forks, she went grocery shopping for her parents. At the grocery store, she encountered Jessica Stanley, or now, Jessica Newton. The gist of the conversation was that Jessica had married Mike, and Bella was no longer engaged to James and was transferring to UCLA. They exchanged phone numbers and parted ways.

Bella went home, put away the groceries and then put all her belongings in her car and left for UCLA.

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**A/N: Please review! I feel like I'm just writing for myself here. **


	3. Ch 1 A Pixie, a Bombshell, and a Giant

**A/N: Anthony will show up in the next chapter! :D I'm excited! And review please! I need to know if this is good or not… Be honest. If it's not good, I'll quit and do something else with my time, lol.  
**Disclaimer: Things I own: a pretty filigree bedroom. A pack of cigarettes. Chupa Chups. Things I don't own: Edward Cullen. Boo.

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A Pixie, a Bombshell, and a Giant

**BPOV**

Dragging my heavy bags through the lobby of the dorm, I caught the stare of a very tall and very burly man. He had curly brown hair and icy blue eyes, and he had to be at least six foot seven. He smiled, and I averted my eyes, like I always had when a man would so much as look at me in the company of James. Then I realized I didn't have to do that anymore. I looked back up at him and smiled. He came over.

"You look like you could use some help. Or maybe a lot." He said, smirking a bit. I laughed.

"You know, I really could. Mind helping me get one of these into the elevator?" I asked. He grabbed both of them as if they weighed nothing and I followed him to the elevator. He lifted one bag easily and pressed the button before I could even reach for it.

"So you can't be a freshman, because they don't move in until Friday. But I haven't seen you around here?" He said it as if it were a question. The doors opened and we piled in. "What floor?" He asked.

"Twelve. Well, this is a pretty big university. You just might not have seen me before." I said, trying to be coy.

"Oh, I would definitely notice you. Oh and I'm on the same floor," He smirked again. "What's your name?"

I shuddered when I thought of my own name. It was odd how just thinking of my own name hurt. It reminded me of all the times James had said my name dangerously, frighteningly, with malice dripping from his tongue. What if I went by something else? Isabella still sent shudders down my spine, but what about… Belle? Belle reminded me of bells chiming and of the Beauty and the Beast.

"Belle." I said. Nope. Not scary at all. Belle it was.

"Well, I'm Emmett. But I still think I would have noticed you. Did you transfer?" He got straight to the point.

"Actually you're right, I did transfer. I'm a junior. Whatever are you?" I wondered aloud.

"I'm a senior." He said. "Twelfth floor," He chimed, smiling.

"Thanks for all your help," I said with a smile, reaching for my bags.

"Do you want help the rest of the way?" He asked.

I looked at my bags dubiously, and sighed. "Yeah, that would be great." I smiled.

My room was at the end of the hall unfortunately, so it was a good thing that I had enlisted Emmett's help. I took out my key and turned the lock. The room was void of people, but two of the beds had things on and near them, so I just had him set my things by the empty one.

"Thanks a lot, Emmett."

"Any time, Belle. Would you mind if I called you? I'd like to see you again." He said rather shyly. I think it was an act, though. Surely he wasn't nervous.

"Of course. Let me give you my number." He pulled his phone out and I dictated my number to him. I bade him goodbye, unpacked my things, and settled on my bed to read and wait for my roommates to return. About a half an hour later I heard the click of the lock sound and voices.

"We're going to be great friends, I can tell. I absolutely LOVE those stiletto Mary Janes!" A high, pealing voice gushed.

"And I love that red dress you got." A sultry, feminine voice that was steadily getting louder said. They came into my view.

"Hi. I'm Belle." I said.

"Hi!" I was accosted by a very short, very energetic slip of a girl. She had just kicked off her shoes and could only stand at something like four eleven. She looked exactly like a pixie, with a very short shock of black hair that was spiked all over the place but didn't seem to have any gel in it, and her tiny stature. The look was only enhanced by her flowing choppy green tube top. She looked like a black haired Tinkerbelle. She hugged me with a surprising amount of strength. "Hi, I'm Alice! We're going to be great friends." She said in a sure voice. "And this is Rosalie," she said, gesturing towards a drop dead gorgeous blonde, who settled for just an appraisal of me instead of a hug.

"Hi," I said.

"Hello," was all she said. Then she began to go through her purchases.

Alice started talking a mile a minute. "So where are you from? When did you get here? I hope you like the bed, I guess it doesn't really matter but you didn't really get to chose. Have you seen the guys around here yet? More importantly, have you seen the _stores _yet? There is so much shopping and did you bring a lot of clothes with you? Can I look at them? And what did you –"

"Whoa, Alice, slow down. Umm, I'm from Washington, I just got here like an hour ago, I don't really care about the bed, I met one guy, he's really cute, I gave him my number, I hope he calls, I haven't been shopping yet, I didn't bring much with me, if you want, and… I think that was the last one. Anything else?"

Alice quirked an eyebrow at me, and Rosalie just laughed. I think I was winning Rosalie over. I hoped, anyway. She looked over at me.

"You'll get used to Alice pretty soon. I've only known her for six hours and I'm already pretty used to the triple shot of espresso that she is. A warning though, don't give her coffee… Or really anything caffeinated."

I chuckled.

Alice was already tearing away at my side of the closet. "Is this all you brought?" she pouted at me.

"No, there's a little more in the drawers under the bed." I said, gesturing to them. She rushed over and tore through them, too. She was shaking her little head.

"We have to take you shopping. You've got some good staples, but you need _more…" _She trailed off, muttering. I caught something that sounded like "Yves Saint Laurent," "Louboutin" "Benetton," and "Gucci."

"I'm hungry," Rosalie said. "Anybody feel like getting something to eat?"

My stomach growled as if to prove a point. Alice and Rosalie giggled. "Let's go," Alice said. I grabbed my purse and shoes and we left the dorm.

We didn't really feel like driving, so we went to the Campus café. We all grabbed salads and sat down to eat. My phone rang. I went outside to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Hey Belle, this is Emmett." Wow, talk about fast. Didn't guys have that rule that you don't call a girl the same day?

"Hi Emmett."

"I didn't want to seem eager, but I was thinking about you and was wondering if you wanted to get something to eat."

"Oh…" I sighed. "I'm actually out to lunch with my roommates. Sorry."

"That's okay. How about dinner?"

"Sure Emmett. Where do you want me to meet you?" I asked, barely able to hide the excitement.

"I'll pick you up at your dorm. Seven sound good?" He asked.

"Yeah that's fine. See you then."

"Bye."

"Bye."

I hung up and clutched the phone to my chest, feeling very junior high. I went back inside and Rosalie and Alice could tell something was up.

"Who was that?" Alice asked.

"The boy I met earlier. He asked me out to lunch."

"Why didn't you invite him to come down?" Rosalie asked.

I smacked my forehead. "I didn't think of it. But he invited me to dinner tonight."

"Ooh! Even better! But you know what that means…" Alice said.

I was in the dark. "What?"

"Shopping!" She clapped her hands together and there was a bit of a glint in her eye. I wasn't sure if I should be scared or a not.

Three hours, roughly seventeen stores, and six lattes (decaf for Alice, skinny for Rosalie) later, I had an outfit for my date with Emmett. I also had three pairs of shoes (all with stiletto heels) four new shirts, two new pairs of jeans, and three new skirts. Alice was very persuasive.

We got back to the dorm at about 5:45, and Alice was upset because she thought it would take her longer to get me ready. I didn't realize she was going to do my hair and makeup too. It was actually nice to have someone else do it for a change. I was ready at about 6:50, thankfully, and Emmett was at the door at 6:55. Alice wanted to peek at him but Rosalie kept her in the room as I left.

Emmett took me by the hand and led me to a brand new black Jeep Commander (my dream car) and helped me into the seat. I told him how this was my dream car and how much better it was than the Liberty model, which is what I have. We had great conversation about Jeeps as he drove around the city. Eventually we pulled into a restaurant called Riva.

We were seated and looked at the menu while waiting for the waiter. Emmett decided on the steak, and I the Spanish chicken, which was funny because the restaurant boasted an Italian menu. Conversation was always good with Emmett, and we didn't shut up for the entire dinner. He paid, against my protests, and we walked around the city for a while before heading home. He kissed me goodnight, and to my disappointment, I didn't really enjoy it. He had to have been a good kisser, but… My heart wasn't into it. I went inside and had a very long conversation with Rosalie and Alice, as they both wanted every detail. We drank a bottle of champagne Alice had in the mini refrigerator, (Alice said we needed to celebrate) and watched Hitch on the flat screen television Rosalie had brought. After that, we all went to sleep.


	4. Ch 2 Bronze Hair, Coffee and Collisions

**A/N: Anthony's here! Review please, I need to know that I don't suck.**_  
Disclaimer: I just don't own it, all right!?_

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Bronze Hair, Coffee and Collisions

**BPOV**

I woke up at about seven in the morning, and Rose and Alice were still sound asleep. I slipped on my running shoes, some shorts and a wife beater, and went for a run. I ran for about an hour, and then found my way back to the campus. I spied a coffee shop not too far away from campus, and I decided to stop in.

I was thinking way too much. I was thinking a lot about Emmett, and how broken I was from James, and how I was still so invested in Anthony. Was it really fair to Emmett? I was interested in him, but I felt absolutely nothing when he kissed me. It was like when I kissed Mike Newton at Jessica's party on a dare in the sixth grade. Well okay, that wasn't fair to Emmett. But still, I felt nothing. Why didn't I feel anything?

"Miss, can I take your order?" The cashier pulled me out of my reverie.

"Uh yeah, can I get a white mocha?"

"What size?"

"Large."

"That'll be 3.71."

I handed over my cash and moved over to the small bar where they served the drinks. I came up on a rather tall man whose hair wasn't exactly red, but it wasn't exactly brown, or blonde either. In fact, it looked sort of like bronze to me. He grabbed his drink, the one the barista had called as a doppio espresso, and turned, and I saw his face. He was extremely handsome, possibly the most handsome man I'd ever seen. He walked and sat in one of the poufy chairs. I waited for my drink, watched him stealthily and decided that when I got my drink I would sit in the pouf chair next to him, separated only by an end table. But then a blonde that I hadn't even seen reached from somewhere on my left for a skinny decaf iced vanilla latte and I watched as she took the seat I was now coveting. I was a bit smug that he paid her no attention. I took a seat at a table near him, and watched him as he snubbed her advances. Eventually she left, and he was alone again.

I watched him with fascination… The way he ran his hands through his hair was mesmerizing. And looking at his face, I felt the oddest sense of security and comfort… He felt like home. These were rather odd thoughts to be having about a stranger, so I tried to stifle them. He looked up at me, and I saw his eyes.

He had the same green eyes as Anthony.

It was a rather odd experience. My mind started racing as I wondered, could it be him? He had moved to California… But who's to say he moved to LA, and who's to say he even stayed in California for college? Rather improbable. And Anthony's hair was dirty blonde, not… Bronzish. Still.

He drained his cup, smiled at me, and walked out.

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I made it back to the dorm in a daze, greeted Rosalie and Alice, showered, changed, and went on a little excursion. The campus was a big mass of confusion for me, and so I decided to wander around it for the time being. I found the library, a few of my classrooms, and the gym, which was when I saw Emmett.

I don't know why I ran. Looking back, it was a very silly thing to do, because what if Emmett had seen me running from him? But, knowing what I knew now, I would still do it, because when I turned to run, I ran smack dab into the bronze haired boy from the coffee shop.

"Whoa… Slow down there. In a rush?" he said as he caught me in his arms. His embrace felt like… Home. Shiiiiit.

"Well… Yeah kinda." I stammered.

"What are you rushing for? Classes haven't even started yet, so you can't be late," he chuckled.

I peered around for Emmett. He was no where in sight. "I don't know, it's silly really," I murmured sheepishly.

"What's your name?" He asked.

"Belle," I said, his eyes tightened. "Is your name…"

"Edward," he said.

"Oh." I dropped my eyes. So obviously he isn't Anthony. But those eyes…

"So what were you running for?" He asked.

"Um… Well I just saw someone I'm sort of… Seeing. I'm not sure how I feel about all of it yet, and I didn't think seeing him was a good idea."

"Why is that?"

"Well… When I see him I tend to just go with whatever I want to do, not what I should do." I said.

"Isn't what you _want_ to do what you _should_ do?" he probed.

"Not in my case." I said firmly.

"Why is that?" he asked. He appeared intrigued.

"It's a long story." I whispered.

"I've got time." He whispered back.

"Um… Well I have no idea why I am about to tell you this, but I've never told anyone and I think it will feel good to talk. I think I'm… I think I'm broken. My ex… fiancée, he broke me. I think that was what he had planned to do all along. And I was always in love with someone else. And I think he knew it. Also, I was the only girl who showed no interest in him. I think that was just how his mind worked, you know. Want what you can't have. Break it if it won't be yours. And… He broke me."

"Well, we've all got our crosses to bear. So you don't want to lead this man on, because you feel like you can't give him your heart?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Well then, you shouldn't keep seeing him."

"Really? You don't think it's too soon to be thinking of it as something deeper?"

"Maybe. But your gut is always right. If you feel like it's not going to go anywhere, then don't force it. Unless all you want is a fun, no strings type of relationship. Then by all means…" He trailed off.

I shook my head. That didn't interest me. We didn't speak for a while.

"Well, my roommates are probably looking for me. I'd better head back." I murmured.

"Well it was nice talking to you. If you ever need to talk, feel free to talk to me." He said. "If you'd like to call me sometime, feel free. Would you like my number?" He asked.

"Sure. That would be really nice." I took out my phone, and he added his number. He hugged me goodbye, wiped away tears I hadn't known I'd been shedding, and walked away. But he turned and spoke.

"Belle. Is that short for anything?"

I knew I shouldn't lie, but I couldn't bear anyone knowing my name was Isabella, in fear that they might try to call me that.

"No."


End file.
